Blog posts from Curt Gelin

Original article: http: //www.sittbrunnen.se/havsbiblioteket/curres-blogg/1884-more-40-till-massorna

More wants to win with new 40-footer

Swedish-Croatian boatyard-sailing travel agency-charter company More Boats - Sailing - Charter is on a roll, more than busy with all its parts. And this at a time when major shipyards in Germany and France are struggling to sell their large volumes and thus maintain their profitability. Nevertheless, the Split shipyard is running three shifts six days a week to catch up with orders.

For veterans of the boat industry, the pressure sounds like a fairy tale, but the success is explained by More Boats with Tjörn native Einar Halldin and charter veteran Milan Mande, who dared to do something no one else in the charter boat industry dared to do - they invested in a performance boat with lavishly spacious interiors.

Joining them on the More 55 was Italian Maurizio Cosutti, a master of fast, stylish boats and an expert in optimizing racers. The idea was to build this fast boat at a comparatively low price and finance it through charter purchases.

Charter purchase is nothing new and not unusual, as countless Swedes and Norwegians have jumped on the concept for investment reasons, for practical reasons or to own a large boat cheaply.

But the difference is that More wants high quality performance boats for zero hassle. They don't want low-quality bathing tubs that have problems, leading to loss of income.

That approach for the More 55 has, since its launch in 2015, seen 16 buyers jump on board, a figure worth being impressed with. Hull No. 6 was launched on October 18 and five 55s will sail the ARC Rally in November.

To top it off, More 55 No. 3 won Croatia's biggest regatta Split-Vis last weekend.

Strengthened by their success, Einar and Milan have asked Maurizio Cosutti for a sequel, a 40-footer. It is intended not only for charter, but for private use, a boat that keen sailors want. On my "inspection trip" to Split and More Boats last weekend, More 40 No. 2 was ordered and paid for and three more were on their way to Italy.

And what about the first More 40? Hold on to your hats - Einar Halldin has ordered it to race in 2017 in all major races here at home. To make this exciting venture successful, Anders Lewander at North Sails has been engaged. Plus a professional crew led by Mores Karl Fredrik Olsson as the boat's captain.

At the briefing this weekend by Maurizio Cosutti, in addition to a number of interesting basic facts, he also presented a preliminary measurement. The GPH - General Purpose Handicap he thought could be 546 sec/M, which is almost as good as a racer like Sydney 40 (540 s/M), faster than Dehler 42 (594 s/M), and Arcona 410 574 s/M.

At the time of the visit on October 15, the hull and deck molds were under construction. They have taken time to get a piano finish on the plugs so that they in turn will give a nice finish to the finished boats. The plan is to show the first More 40 at the Båtmässan in February and then at Allt för Sjön.

- "Exhibiting is costly, but I think it's a good way to show ourselves and to interest more people in investing or buying More 40 - or More 55," says Einar Halldin.

His self-confidence is as good as his calmness and he can have that because 14 examples will replace the current Salona 38s by 2018. Fingers crossed that the More 40 will be completed in the three months remaining until the doors open in Gothenburg. New projects are always worthy of support, especially if they are aimed at knowledgeable sailors like this one.

/Curt Gelin